It Takes a Village

I have always loved that the people who choose nonprofit work care about supporting mission-driven organizations and also about supporting each other.

I joined the TogetherSC Consulting Collaborative and attended my first meeting this week. The Consulting Collaborative provides opportunities for nonprofit consultants with various specialties to network and to learn from one another. This week’s meeting focused on the obstacles to collaboration and strategies to overcome them. Obstacles included scarcity mindsets (believing there aren't enough resources to go around) as well as the effort it takes to connect and build trust with other consultants.

I believe that the effort is well worth it. In my career working for libraries, schools, and nonprofits, I have learned that organizations who need help with grant writing often also need support in accounting, finance, evaluation, marketing, board development, strategic planning, IT, or other specialized disciplines. I often say that, as a grant writer, I know just enough to be dangerous in each of these areas. I know what a balance sheet is, but I have never taken an accounting course. I can help draft survey questions, but I am not a professional evaluator. I can suggest different ways for a board to approach funders, but I am not experienced with extensive board training. Connecting with consultants who are experts in these areas enables me to provide more comprehensive services and write more competitive grants for my clients.

I understand the inclination to hold a scarcity mindset — the default nature of the entrepreneur is to worry about finding enough work — but I also believe that you get back what you put out into the world. When I started Burke Hammons Consulting, I immediately reached out to request discovery calls with consultants in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. I have now met with 33 different consultants who provide a range of services to mission-driven organizations. Every single one of these conversations inspired me, and I am grateful to have met so many people doing extraordinary work. Through them, I have connected with further consultants, with potential clients, and with resources for my own business and clients.

My job as a grant strategist is to help my clients accomplish their missions. Building trust with other consultants ultimately makes me better at this task, and I’m so grateful to be part of a network of people working collaboratively to help our communities thrive.